Red Bull to compete as Aston Martin Red Bull Racing in 2018

Red Bull Racing will extend their partnership with Aston Martin to title sponsor in 2018. Credit: Octane Photographic Ltd

The Red Bull Racing team will compete as the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team from next year, as the iconic British sportscar brand have been announced as the squad’s title sponsor and innovation partner from 2018 onwards.

The two brands first joined forces in 2016, as part of a pioneering project to develop the Aston Martin Valkyrie hyper car, and that partnership has now been extended to Red Bull’s Formula 1 arm, which will see the British car manufacturer’s brand name move from its current small logo on the nose of the RB13, to being extensively featured across all areas of the team.

As part of the new deal, an advanced performance centre will be built on the site of the current Formula 1 factory in Milton Keynes, which will house their joint venture supercar projects, and will create hundreds of jobs, as well as allowing a closer collaboration between the F1 and road car teams.

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner said the deal would only strengthen what is an already successful partnership.

“Our Innovation Partnership with Aston Martin has been a pioneering project from day one.

“Having conceived and created the remarkably successful Aston Martin Valkyrie together in 2016, we extended our relationship this year and are now delighted to further strengthen the partnership and see the team competing as Aston Martin Red Bull Racing in 2018.

“In addition, more than 100 Aston Martin staff will service the new Advanced Performance Centre on our campus here in Milton Keynes and it will allow us to collaborate further with Aston Martin on special, equally innovative, new projects.”

Aston Martin President and CEO Andy Palmer sees the move to title sponsor as the next phase of their relationship with Red Bull, and did not rule out entering the sport themselves in the near future, if certain engine restrictions were relaxed.

“Title partnership is the next logical step for our Innovation Partnership with Red Bull Racing.

“We are enjoying the global brand awareness that a revitalised Formula One provides.

“The power unit discussions (in Formula One) are of interest to us, but only if the circumstances are right.

“We are not about to enter an engine war with no restrictions in cost or dynamometer hours but we believe that if the FIA can create the right environment we would be interested in getting involved.”